Shloka 76

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अपानपा न गदितास्तथान्ये ये द्विजातय: । जपन्ति संहितां सम्यक ते नित्यं तारणक्षमा:

Transliteration

apānapā na gaditās tathānye ye dvijātayaḥ | japanti saṃhitāṃ samyak te nityaṃ tāraṇakṣamāḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Those born as twice-born, and others as well, who do not utter what is improper and who correctly recite the sacred Saṃhitā in japa—such people are ever capable of delivering (themselves and others) across (the peril of sin and worldly bondage).”

Word by Word

• अपानपाः: those who do not drink (water)
• अपानपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपानप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• गदिताः: spoken / uttered
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• तथा: thus / likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जपन्ति: they recite / mutter
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संहिताम्: the Saṃhitā (text/collection)
• संहिताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly / correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• तारणक्षमाḥ: capable of delivering (saving)
• तारणक्षमाḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारण-क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• dvijātayaḥ (twice-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right conduct is joined to right sacred practice: disciplined speech (avoiding improper utterance) and correct japa of the Saṃhitā together make a person ‘tāraṇakṣama’—fit to cross over sin and to aid others in crossing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on dharma and the power of disciplined religious practice, praising those who maintain purity of speech and properly perform Vedic-style recitation as a means of spiritual protection and deliverance.